Interruption to regular programme...

I seem to have lost my mojo.
Not much enthusiasm for painting or doing or making at the moment. I had great plans for a series of paintings and maybe an exhibition next year, but the wheels have fallen off that.

I need one of those test cards they used to put on BBC TV when there were no shows to broadcast.

Of course life goes on... I'm reading To Kill A Mockingbird, because my 13 year old is reading it at school and needs someone to discuss his homework with!! This is no chore, it's one of many classics I thought I'd never get around to, it's also lovely to be in a tiny book group with my son!... which is a bit of a family trait, when I talk to my mum on the phone, after we've discussed how the kids are etc, then the important question, 'what are you reading?'

Checking in

Just checking in really, these are busy times with family visiting, a weekend away and the twins turning 9!!!

Here is a painting I've been sitting on! I finished it a month or so ago and I was really pleased with it. It was one of those paintings that happened really easily, I think all the slaving over the other ones seems to be preparation for these ones that just paint themselves. So now I've sat with it for a while and I still like it I'm ready to share. Hoping to get down to some more painting soon, now that the kids are back at school.

I hope things are going well for you and the sun is shining!!!

sketchbook snippets

I wonder if you have been taking part in the sketchbook challenge? Or checked out their blog/website...I especially enjoy reading the artist interviews. There are some very tempting monthly prizes!!! and all you have to do is post a drawing to the sketchbook challenge flickr group each month....Having said all this, I haven't managed to enter anything for May or June and it's nearly halfway through July and still nothing posted...sometimes the weeks just get away. BUT I have been drawing, and maybe this is the best prize, to be using my sketchbook again for the fun of it, to explore and play, some pages are awful and just get painted over, some are too private to share, some are a few scrappy lines that only mean something to me! Here are a couple of samples.


Just a little aside about sunflowers! I planted some sunflower seeds because of Van Gogh, they did grow and finally flowered over the last couple of weeks. I don't know if it's the kind of seed or if it's my poor soil, but they are a tiny stunted variety, knee high not shoulder high, and the flowers are very shortlived, they barely last a week before they start to shrivel and go brown - a bit disappointing. I'd love to hear if you've had more success!

work stress lino

Dear reader I've been neglecting you... and lots of other things in my life.

The last 2 months have been hectic because a workmate has been on leave and a lot of her responsibilities ended up on my plate, it's been incredibly busy and by the end of it quite stressful. I've been feeling like someone swimming through an underwater cave, holding my breath, knowing I'll get there if I just stay calm and keep swimming.


Now I'm back out in the air and the light I'd expected to feel relieved and happy but instead I'm exhausted and out of sorts. It's been hard to settle down to painting, but I have started a lino cut based on this gouache drawing. Chiselling a lino is very relaxing for me.

Hopefully next time I'm here things will be back on a more even keel.
best wishes to blogworld!

Garden painting

From Feb to April this year I worked my way through The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. I did it half-heartedly, not expecting to dig up any demons from the past (to explain my laziness, lack of time, lack of drive) - but also hoping for some flashes of insight into what I might do with my life.

One of the things that did come up - was that I want to do some BIG paintings, it's a really long time since I've worked on anything bigger than 12 x 12 inch in paint or lino. (since before I had kids so at least 13 years). By co-incidence Sue from one of the blogs I love to read Mouse notebook has also been dipping into the artists way and had big paintings on her list too!

A month or so ago I started on a canvas 20x20 inch - huge for me! Here are some in progress shots.


And here it is now, I think finished.

My work tends to be about whatever is going on in my life, so of course it's about gardening.

garden news

The dry season is here with cool nights (freezing for us softies!) and sunny days. I’ve really been enjoying getting into the garden and planting some seedlings, mostly veggies, and a tiny flower garden which my daughter has been keen to have a go at. (Also in theory, the flowers should attract bees and good bugs to the garden which should help with fruiting plants like tomatoes)

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you’ll know I’m a learner gardener with plenty of failures last year! When I dig my veggie patch it’s full of the roots of nearby palm trees – stealing all the goodness from the soil. So this year as an experiment I’ve put some plants in those polystyrene veggie boxes with good potting mix, and so far so good…I have these eggplants fruiting now, so beautiful, they are a small Asian variety. And the cherry tomatoes are flowering so I have my fingers crossed. Now I’ll have to learn some new eggplant recipes!

I'm still here

I dropped off the poetry challenge, and off the internet for a while... over Easter the kids had the flu and we just stayed home quietly. This weekend has been more exciting with an exhibition opening the Seabreeze Festival and a craft market I had a stall at today.

The Seabreeze festival has to be one of my favourite events of the year, a series of stages along the seafront that you can stroll to or catch the free shuttle bus. By the end of the day I want to go to dance classes, join a choir, learn the bagpipes!!! It's so inspiring and a wonderful community event of local talent.

Next weekend will be the DVAA members show of ATCs, here are my Trading Cards finally finished.